I've been listening to various versions of Hickory Wind on YouTube and may give it a try. However, I like to know a bit about songs I perform and I can't find any information on this one, other than it was written by a blind woman named Sylvia Sammons and not Gram Parsons, although he claimed it initially. What I would like to know is, what is Hickory Wind? Is it like the Mistral in the south of France or some such? Grateful for any information.

Guest - thanks for the link but Wikipedia simply gives the following explanation: 'The alluring 'Hickory Wind' serves as a powerful image for Parsons' bittersweet nostalgia.' So am I to understand that there is no actual wind called the Hickory Wind somewhere in the Carolinas? Also, I see that Wikipedia still attributes the song to Gram Parsons although on YouTube a poster states that he eventually acknowledged that he hadn't written the song but bought the rights from the original songwriter Sylvia Sammons. If this is correct then Wikipedia needs an update.

hmmm..if you buy the rights to a song.. and (as sylvia quotes on a folk site) they insisted that she turn over the cassettt of the song that she had sent ot herself to prove "ownership") does that give you the right to say you wrote it?

South Carolina is famous for hickory forests, and they feature in many place names, Hickory Grove, Hickory Knob, and so on. Gram Parsons was born in Florida and spent his childhood there, and had no childhood memories of South Carolina whatsoever.

I see the Sammons claim as spurrilous, especially in the absence of any evidence to support it other than the alleged 'missing cassette tape'.

From wikipedia site

"In 2002, an article on the website folklinks.com controversially claimed that "Hickory Wind" wasn't, in fact, written by Gram Parsons, but by Sylvia Sammons?a blind folksinger from Greenville, South Carolina?with Bob Buchanan later contributing an additional verse.[12][13] Sammons' alleged authorship of the song was first made public by traditional musician Kay Justice during a performance at a small church concert in southwest Virginia.[12] Additionally, L. Beatrice Hutzler, a former professor at Clinch Valley College (now the University of Virginia's College at Wise), recalled that she too had heard Sammons sing the song in person prior to its being recorded by The Byrds.[12]

When interviewed in 2002, Sammons confirmed that she had written the song and claimed that she regularly performed "Hickory Wind" at coffeehouses and other folk venues in Greenville during 1963?a time when Parsons was also performing in Greenville with his band The Shilos?and that her song was stolen during this period.[12] She further claims that in 1969 she reached a cash settlement with a music publisher for the rights to "Hickory Wind" and agreed to turn over a tape-recorded copy of the song, which was her only physical proof of authorship.[12]

Sammons' claim to the song has been refuted by both Bob Buchanan and Chris Hillman, with the latter stating "As far as I know Gram and Bob Buchanan did indeed write 'Hickory Wind'. As unstable as Gram was in my brief time with him on this earth, I sincerely doubt he was a plagiarist in any of his songwriting endeavors unless his co-writer Bob brought him the idea."[12] Although many people have chosen to dismiss Sammons' claim, citing a lack of any physical proof on her part, the controversy surrounding the authorship of "Hickory Wind" remains."

An interesting controversy: Sammons says she never published another song, although she says she wrote a few others. It would seem she could offer proof she got the payment for the song's rights....maybe she has. Even so, it's possible Parsons' version is a take-off of sorts, from what he remembers of her song; and may be within that gray area of being "inspired" by a previous work. From what I've read of Buchanan's version, it's possible Parsons had his/Sammons' part of the song pretty much down, and Buchanan's contribution of a second verse was ex post facto, although he didn't realize it at the time. He thought, perhaps, Parsons was creating in the moment , as was he.... ; And, yes, good point+: even if they paid off Sammons, it doesn't seem right to hang your name on the song. I think it's easy to think the Stones stole stuff from Parsons during their sojourn in Texas; it's instructive that they let the Flying Burrito Brothers record "Wild Horses" before the Stones. Some say that was just a tribute to the country influence they got in Texas. But Jagger and Richards were/are notorious for lifting stuff from other people (ask Ry Cooder); so.... If Sammons had a bunch of other good songs, I would tend to believe "Hickory Wind" was all hers. In the absence of more evidence, I tend toward the idea that Parsons took some stuff from her, the germ, the idea, of the song, ...not a complete plagiarization. It would be interesting to see some experts analyze if "Hickory Wind" is similiar in word choice, tune, key, whatever, to Parson's other work.... and obviously, he was a songsmith of the first degree (Hey, I claim that as a song title-don't rip me off.) and let's not forget to simply love the beeeeyOOOTiful song...

PS: in the Wikipedia entry; "Sammons' claim to the song has been refuted by both Bob Buchanan and Chris Hillman,. . ." , refuted should be changed to "rebutted." Refuted means you PROVED someone wrong; I think all they can do is give their version as evidence... doesn't prove she didn't write the song, or a first draft of it....

GP did live in Waycross GA as a boy; I hear there are hickory forests there. As a trope "hickory wind" is the trigger of the narrator's nostalgic longing for home/lost innocence/ and endless Fruedian womb associations. In GP bio "Twenty Thousand Roads" the author does not treat the origin of "HW" as a controversy. Doug Saum

I have also wondered about the phrase "hickory wind." I can't imagine its a seasonal weather phenomenon like the mistral. I wondered whether the flowers of the tree might scent the air in a distinctive way, but I've been told this is not the case. However, after much thought, I've concluded that the phrase alludes to the scent of hickory smoke in the air. Hickory has a distinctive and pleasing scent when it burns and that is why it is prized for barbecues. So, when I hear that song, I imagine he is nostalgic for the scent of fires being revived in woodstoves in the morning, scenting the air as it blows through a valley or mountainside.

From the musty vault of my memory I seem to recall that Parsons found the lyrics on a paper in the typewriter of his Harvard (or was it Yale?)roomate (was it Buchanan?)and provided a melody and helped him finish the song. The tune reminds me of one from the Carter Family but I don't remember which one. Re Wild Horses, I read somewhere that the Stones sent it to the Burritos for Sneaky Pete to put a steel guitar track on it (which they didn't use [I think]) Parsons heard it, recorded a Burritos version and put it out before the Stones did. Any corrections appreciated.

I had read that the song Wild Horses was originally written by Keith Richards, with or without some input from Parsons that is disputed, and was about the birth of his child and the idea that wild horses wouldn't drag him away on tour etc. Jagger supposedly then amended the lyrics to make it a love song.

If they stayed true to their usual method, Richards would have come up with the refrain "wild horses couldn't drag me away", and most of the melody, while Jagger would have done most of the verse lyric.

As I understand from what I read (can't for the love of me remember where but it was a Stones bio I think) the song was written and completed before Jagger got his hands on it. It was seemingly obviously about leaving your child and Jagger simply rewrote, or adjusted, some of the words to make it a love song.

Could be, Allan. Those verses would certainly be among the most erudite ever forged by Mr Richards, if true. Now, my friend Will James, who has been instrumental in producing several Gram Parsons Memorial concerts, is quite certain that Parsons wrote the bulk of it, with help from Keith.